New World Human
by bluepoetry
Summary: Seeking to further her knowledge and understanding of humans, Luctiana attempts to do her own familiar summoning ritual. What she gets is a human, but not one that her kind is familiar with. (Rated M just in case)
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing in Familiar of Zero except the OC. The rights to the series belong to the original author.**

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Chapter 1: The Experiment

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 **Nephthys**

Halkeginia is a world of magic, that is for sure. For the past six thousand years, those with magic were deemed as superior to those who were not, at least that's how it goes in the human realms. Indeed they held this view as tradition and resisted all forms of change as best as they could. With that, they formed a feudal society where lords and nobles swore fealty to kings and queens and commoners swore fealty to the local noble. In the east, however, there existed a civilization run by more forward thinking beings who have a natural affinity for magic, all of them in fact.

For in the east lies of the western kingdoms of Halkeginia lies a desert. Deserts are extremely harsh environments, especially for those who are not accustomed to such a vast expanse of heat and sand. And yet, this desert is inhabited by civilized beings for it is rich in resources and the fact that it is known as the holy land by the humans who inhabit this world and thus sought after by them. Currently, only one nation stands in this desert, the great elven country of Nephthys.

In the elven country of Nephthys lies a beautiful oasis in the middle of the desert. The oasis is surrounded by a few trees and shrubbery. A small house lies on the edge of the oasis with a small pier connected to it. In front of the pier lies the remains of an aircraft submerged in water with its tail sticking out from the waterline and covered in moss. For military enthusiasts, they would recognize this plane as a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, specifically, a Japanese-bought F-4 Phantom II.

How it got there is a mystery to the place's inhabitants. Speaking of inhabitants, outside of the house are three individuals, Luctiana, Ari and Bidashal. They are elves, known for their technology, skill in wandless magic and bitter hatred for humans. Both races never really got along throughout history over a past conflict but that is a story for another time.

Right now, Luctiana is working on an huge experiment much to the reluctance of both his uncle Bidashal and her fiance Ari. You see, they are researchers, human researchers to be exact and you don't need to guess what that kind of research experiment that they are to undertake is known as the familiar summoning ritual, a primarily human ritual where the summoner draws upon his or her magic and willpower in order to summon a servant from who knows where. The twist in the procedure is that they are going to use elven magic as well as new and untested chants, wards and other methods in order to summon a familiar.

Now, what they're doing should not actually be done for no one knows what will happen should the ritual succeed or fail. Well that and they didn't bother to tell the proper authorities of the experiment due to Luctiana's haste in setting up the ritual. They would just have to inform the council later on and hope that they would not punish them severely over such a brash decision.

Now then, being that it is a human ritual, you can see why the two males in the room are very reluctant and apprehensive, especially Ari. Even more so with the numerous wards and other safeties placed around the summoning circle, indicating the possible danger. Out in the desert sands close to the house, the final preparations are being made for the summoning ritual. As they are being done, Ari decides to calm his nerves by asking Luctiana a question.

"Are you sure this is gonna work Luctiana?" asks Ari.

Though reluctant, he nevertheless complied with Luctiana's wishes lest she cancel their marriage. Oh yes, I forgot. Both elves are engaged to be married. However, while they do love each other, Luctiana is not above threatening Ari if she did not get her way when it comes to her research and she put her research above everything else except meybe her uncle Bidashal. Bidashal, though reluctant himself, was more supportive of her idea due to the fact that she was his niece and also if it meant advancing their research on human beings.

"Don't worry! These wards will make sure that the magical energy will be contained in case anything goes wrong." says Luctiana.

Indeed, she had been preparing everything for this ritual from practicing her chant to studying about the ritual from human texts bought or stolen from the human lands. She even bought some wards and enchantment tools to help control and stabilize the ritual in case something were to happen. She did it discreetly of course, never telling her sources what she was planning to do with her purchases. If they ever found out, they would surely be reported and not only will they be banned from their research but everything they have ever worked for will have been for naught.

She had coerced her uncle and fiance into backing her up too, especially when it came time to explain themselves to the authorities, sure that they would defend her from any action taken against her. She had been doing this for over a month now and she was sure that it was finally time for her to perform the summoning ritual.

Ari himself only sighed. Of all the things that his object of affection could have done in the name of research, it had to be this and there was no way that he was getting out of it unless he wanted to stay single. They were after all going to perform the "devil's" magic as the elves call human magic. For Ari, anything associated with humans is unholy and barbaric, a view shared by many of his fellow elves throughout Nepthys. But being part of a research team means taking risks in order to further advance knowledge, even if it was about savages, or so he calls them. Personally though, he doubts that the experiment will ever succeed, not that he will ever tell that to Luctiana's face.

"All right and done!" exclaims Luctiana. "We're ready to begin!" Ari and Bidashal nodded and took a couple of steps back, their role being to support Luctiana and clean up any upcoming messes. Luctiana rereads her notes as a last minute memorization of her chant before setting them down. "With this, we can understand the savages a bit better! I'm so excited!" she says. "We're with you on this one." says Bidashal with a smile. Ari does the same, but deep inside, he doesn't have as much hope as BidashalNodding, Luctiana steps just outside of the summoning circle, anxious but excited at the same time to experience something that the humans do. And with that she begins chanting.

"My servant who lives in the universe," she starts "I, Luctiana, hereby implore you to heed my call, to respond to my call and to answer to my call." The summoning circle begins to glow as the magical energies concentrate and circle around it. "My noble creature, who art to be bound to me, may you be forever willing to serve me as I take care of you and your needs. Please accept my hand as I call you forth. Please, answer my call!" At first, the energy flowing in the circle is just a trickle, hardly worth the effort that she took to set everything up. But slowly, the trickle became a stream and the stream became a river until eventually, it turned into a flood. And with that, the magical energies violently began to congregate towards the circle. The earth started to shake and the still air suddenly became a violent wind, whipping up sand which forms a barrier around her and the circle, obscuring her from the sight of the other two elves.

Seeing this, Ari and Bidashal become very worried. They start to shout, calling for her amidst the chaos and if their fears were not already justified enough, the wards placed around the summoning circle start to crack. One by one, each ward cracks and then explodes, releasing the massive energy from the circle and shaking the very foundation of the earth.

"Luctiana stop! It's too dangerous!" shouts Bidashal, now extremely worried for Luctiana. Luctiana responds. "I can't! It's too much!" The summoning circle becomes more and more unstable with each passing second. Ari attempts to step forward and reach towards Luctiana, but the power coming from the ritual and the barrier keeps him at bay. The same goes for Bidashal"s attempt at rescuing her. Suddenly, light shines from the circle as the final stretches of the ritual start to end and with one final flash, the ritual ends in an explosion, not unlike that of a certain pink haired mage.

A cloud of smoke and sand shot through the sky, going as high as a person can crane his or her neck in order to look up. Both Bidashal and Ari have been blasted away, luckily only a few feet away. Covered in nothing but scuff marks and scratches, the two proceed to stand up and regain their bearings. Once they have regained them, confusion turns into shock and worry for the safety of Luctiana. "Luctiana!" they shout, running towards the source of the explosion.

As the cloud slowly starts to dissipate, they see Luctiana's form lying on the ground unconscious, her body itself blown a few feet away from the summoning circle and her clothes covered in scuff marks but thankfully nothing serious. They rush towards her and attempt to wake her up, shaking her and lightly patting her face. "Ugghh, uncle? Ari?" she murmurs. "It's okay, you're safe." says Bidashal. Luctiana slowly stands up as she assesses the situation. The area is still cloudy and all the wards have been destroyed. With that, she could only conclude that the experiment was a total failure.

"I'm sorry uncle, Ari. I guess the experiment didn't work out after all." Luctiana said, a look of sadness framing her face.

Bidashal looks at her and smiles. "It's okay, there are other ways we can learn more about humans." Ari looks at her and smiles, simply glad that she wasn't hurt. Luctiana herself smiles warmly at the two, glad that they too aren't seriously hurt. They could always try again, although this time, she wondered if she could even afford to do so given the massive amount of expenditure that she made just for this.

Suddenly, they hear a sound coming from where the summoning circle was. "Wait, do you hear that?" asks Ari. Bidashal traces the sound where it points to the circle. "There, in the circle!" Luctiana was shocked. Maybe the experiment had worked. Slowly but steadily, they walk towards the circle, anxious to see what she had summoned. It was still a bit cloudy, so they could not see the figure very well.

Eventually, the cloud of smoke has nearly dissipated and they were able to see the figure clearly. If they were expecting some sort of four or two-legged animal, they were sorely mistaken. For what was summoned was none other than the other two-legged intelligent species in Halkeginia. The species which, as I have told you, have been at conflict with the elves over a past conflict, a conflict which ensured their bitter hatred of each other for six thousand years. All three elves shout two words.

"A HUMAN?!"

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 **Notes: This is my first fanfic so forgive me if it's a little dull in your POV. I've decided to concentrate on the elves instead of the humans because they have too little screen time for my tastes. With that, I hope you like it and please no flames, only constructive criticisms.**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Familiar of Zero except for the OC. The rights belong to the original author.**

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Chapter 2: The Annoyed Human

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 **Quezon City, Philippines**

The weather was not good in Quezon City, Philippines. Being that the country has only a dry and a wet season, it is understandable to think how irritating life must be for the denizens of the country. One such individual we see is walking down the road, umbrella extended to protect him from the heavy rain. His name is Ishmael L. Marasigan, the "L" standing for Lloyd. Dressed in a black shirt, red windbreaker, dark blue jeans and red sneakers, He was overdressed according to his mother and his clothes are hardly appropriate for the warm and wet weather. He sweated, but he did not mind it.

He was a student of one of the finest universities of the country, specifically, Ateneo de Manila University. It is one of the prestigious schools in the Philippines, founded by the Jesuit order in the late 19th century. That's one of the reasons why he chose to study there, but mostly because the university did not require uniforms.

"So far, so good" he told himself.

High grades and active participation in class will surely net him a successful future. What is there to be discomforted when you're a man like him? With that, he continued to walk until he was right outside of a 7/11 store.

Unlike most days, traffic is surprisingly light and the amount of people on the streets is low. Must be from the fact that his schedule permits early dismissal from school. Seriously, you know the traffic that comes around during Christmas shopping season? Imagine that, only having to experience it everyday. That's why it is so unusual for traffic to be light in the cities of the Philippines.

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his smartphone to call for a Grab, the local Uber in the country.

"5 minutes? That's certainly quick." he said smirking.

He decided to call his mother, telling her of his success in his latest test and his early dismissal from university. She was delighted of course and made plans to take him to an all-you-can-eat buffet when it was over.

 _"Honestly mom, again with buffets?"_ Ishmael thought. He loved his mother dearly but there are times when he is annoyed by her. For instance, his mother wanted him to go on a diet and yet his family would have at least one buffet every month to celebrate some important occasion, usually birthdays. It is for this reason that his physique is what you would call chubby, not fat, but chubby.

After a couple of minutes with his mother, he bid her goodbye, stowed his smartphone inside his pockets and just stood there waiting.

As he waited, he did not notice the wind suddenly shift. Slowly but surely, the winds picked up the pace, gradually becoming more and more powerful. The rain drops shifted direction, going towards the source of the disturbance. It was only halfway through its buildup when he finally noticed.

Getting creeped out, he started to look around for anything that could possibly make such powerful winds. To his disappointment, there was nothing he could find, not even a passing car.

The winds began to move with more force, the trail of the wind visible due to the droplets of rain being swept up and congregating at one singular point. Looking towards that point, he saw a cloud of multiple colors forming and shifting around. He looked around for anyone, seeing if there was anybody aside from him who was seeing this.

Unfortunately, there were none to bare witness to this unnatural phenomenon and the energy coming from the mass of cloud and colors was building up to an great extent.

"The hell?!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly, a white flash blinded his view and he instinctively covered his eyes. When he opened them, he saw that in front of him lies a portal. Blindingly white and looking like a miniature white star, the winds and the droplets of rain moved towards the portal dragging anything within its reach. Sadly, it was he who was dragged into it. Struggling in vain, he attempted to plant his feet onto the ground and angle his back to resist the pull. His umbrella got ripped from his hands and into the portal.

 _"I am not getting pulled into some sort of world I know nothing about!"_ he thought as he struggled.

You may be wondering how he knew that it was a portal. To keep it brief, he loves pop culture.

Eventually, his feet were lifted off the ground and his body moved forward. The only thing he could say was a curse.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

No one was there to witness the event that had transpired.

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 **Nephthys**

The three elves were shocked to discover that they have summoned a human of all things. Only Luctiana was ecstatic to have summoned a human. _"Finally!"_ she thought. _"A real life human! To think, a first hand account from the mouth of a human! My research just got better!"_ Unlike her, both Bidashal and Ari did not share her enthusiasm and were immediately on the defensive, brandishing swords and daggers with their hands and magic. All three took a good look at the human before them.

It was definitely a male, judging on the human's slightly chubby physique. He was dressed in clothes that would not be appropriate for a desert environment, most likely, it would suffocate the wearer if they ever went out to travel in the vast expanse. His face was unusual for them too. Slanted eyes and brown complexion, he would have been Germanian if not for the eyes.

Ishmael, for the most part, was okay. Shaken but okay. Pushing himself up, he looked around for his umbrella before spotting it a few inches from him and picked it up in his hands. He then took a look at his surroundings and saw that he was in a desert. His first thought would be that of the Sahara Desert. However seeing the three elves made him think otherwise.

The first is an admittedly beautiful elf with long blonde hair and dressed in a short green dress that stopped halfway across her thigh. The second is a tall elf wearing a cloak, also with long blonde hair and sharp eyes that looked at him with suspicion made worse by the sword that he was aiming at him. The third is an elf of average height with blonde hair and eyes that looked at him with hostility, also made worse by the floating daggers aimed at him. He also noticed that they were all blond.

"Stop right there savage!" Ari shouted.

"What? Cannot understand you." Ishmael said, confused and unable to understand his language.

Realizing that neither can communicate with the other, Bidashal raised his left hand and chanted a translation spell in order for the human to understand.

"Can you understand now?" asked Bidashal

Taken aback, Ishmael replied, "Yeah, that's better, now what's going on! I was minding my own business when a portal pulled me in!" Based on his tone, Bidashal noted that he was not pleased with the situation.

Looking at the three elves before him, it was clear that they were the culprits of his abduction.

"You three have something to do with this, don't you!" Oliver accused.

Ari gritted his theeth, not liking Oliver's tone, and shouted back. "And why should we tell you anything human?!"

Growing impatient, Oliver fought back. "You think you're better than me dickwad?! You're at fault here and I demand that I be taken back!"

Before the exchange dissolved into nothing but accusations and childish name calling, Luctiana stepped forward to calm things down, "Everyone! Please calm down!" Ari and Ishmael looked at her for a few seconds before calming down, Ishmael less so. Ari sheathed his daggers and Ishmael took deep breaths to calm himself down.

"If you would just let me explain, I can help your situation." she said to Oliver. Having tired of banter, Ishmael acquiesced.

"Okay," started Luctiana. "I believe inroductions are in order."

Smiling Luctiana inroduced herself. "I'm Luctiana."

Bidahsal was next "Bidashal." he simply said.

Ari was more hesitant but the pleading look she received from Luctiana pushed him. "Ari."

Ishmael took in their names before introducing himself. "Ishmael, Ishmael L. Marasigan."

The elves were surprised to hear his name. It sounded a lot like a certain human hating elf that they know and loathe. Even more surprising that he was a human being with the name of the elf in question.

 _"Eshmael's not going to be pleased when he hears about a savage sharing his name."_ Ari thought gleefully.

Noticing their surprise, he questioned them about his name..

"Is there something wrong with my name?" he asked, eyebrows arched.

Bidashal replied, "Nothing disrespectful...Ishmael." He had some difficulty saying his name.

Noting his hesitance, he put the thought at the back of his mind before he nonchalantly walked towards Luctiana, stopping only a few feet in front of her.

"Now," he said. "You said you could help me with my situation. You're explanation better be good, which I doubt." Bidashal and Ari frowned at the last part of his statement. Luctiana looked at him sheepishly. This was certainly a unique situation they found themselves in.

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 **Inside the house**

In the house, the three elves and one human sat around the room. Luctiana and Bidashal explained everything to him. The familiar summoning ritual, the wards, the enchantments, the explosion and his appearance from the circle. Ishmael, for his part, was digesting the information stoically. Inside though, he was in shock and disbelief. _"This is like one of those Isekai stories, only I'm the guy getting sent into another world."_ he thought.

"So you're telling me that there is no way to send me back and I'm stuck here forever." Ishmael said.

Silence filled the room which was broken when Luctiana decided to speak.

"Not forever." Luctiana said "There is still a chance that you can go back. However, the familiar summoning ritual can only bring in familiars, not send them back to whence they came." Ishmael simply nodded in understanding. The three elves half expected him to cry out in anger, only to be surprised when he pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.

"Are you okay." asked Bidashal.

Ishmael waved him off. "I'll be fine." Standing up, he took his bag and umbrella before placing it near the bed. He then lied on the bed, front facing the ceiling, covering his eyes with his arms and started to doze off. The elves, puzzled at his actions, questioned him.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Ari, irritated at his behavior.

"Sleeping." Ishmael replied.

"You can't just make your home here!" shouted Ari.

Moving one arm to look at Ari, Ishmael merely gave him a lazy eye before talking. "Thanks to you I'm homeless. You owe me for what you've done." with that he went back to sleep. Before Ari can argue any further, Bidashal placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Enough, he's right. Let him rest." Ari looked at him then back at Ishmael before dropping it and simply walking out into the pier to gather his thoughts. Bidashal followed after him leaving Luctiana alone with Ishmael.

Luctiana looked at Ishmael's sleeping form. Guilt filled her at first before it was banished and she was filled with excitement instead. She then walked away to find her notes. She found them near the table and proceeded to sit down and write down on her notes about the events of today. Her research just got interesting.

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 **Outside the house**

Ari looked outward into the oasis feeling irritated. Ishmael's attitude just rubbed him off the wrong way. If only Luctiana was not interested in that devil. He would be rid of him at once.

Bidashal came behind him and proceeded to hold a conversation.

"It's not everyday that we get to host a human, right Ari?" said Bidashal

Ari only looked at him in annoyance. "I don't really see what's so special about him. He's just a human. They're all animals. Remember the story I told you?" He was referring to the incident when he observed two humans quarreling over food for survival. It was not a pretty sight and only reinforced his belief that all humans were uncivilized and barbaric.

Bidashal stood next to him, himself looking out into the oasis. "Still, he is different, He doesn't have an innate hatred or fear of elves unlike his cousins in the west." he paused before continuing. "Plus he doesn't seem to be familiar with our kind. He could prove valuable to us."

"I guess you're right." said Ari. "But still, the other elves are not going to like this, especially him. If they find out what we did, they're definitely going to put a stop to this research. It would ruin everything that Luctiana ever accomplished." Seeing Luctiana devastated was not something that Ari would like to see. Human or not, Ishmael was the key to her research. He would provide them with knowledge about his kind whether he liked it or not.

"In that case we shall head to the capital immediately." said Bidashal. "Hiding the fact that we performed an unsanctioned experiment is only going to further delay the inevitable and will cause bad blood between us and the rest of the council." Ari nodded. Hopefully the council would be lenient when they truthfully explained themselves.

Heading towards the house, both elves entered and informed Luctiana of their departure. Luctiana wished them good luck before continuing with her notes.

Both elves proceeded mount their dragons. Grabbing the reins, they beckoned their dragons to ascend. As the dragons moved up, they shifted directions and turned towards the capital, flying underneath the bright blue skies. They would explain themselves to the council, and prepare themselves for the worst of what's to come.

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 **Notes: And I'm done. Second chapter up before any reviews have popped up, hope you like it. I forgot to mention that I have taken liberties with how magic works in the world of Halkeginia. Remember, no flames. Just constructive criticism.**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Familiar of Zero except for the OC. The rights belong to the original author.**

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Chapter 3: Getting Familiar

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 **Nephthys**

The sun had already set when Ishmael woke up. Raising himself up to sit on the bed, he stretched his limbs, yawning before looking around the building to see Luctiana sitting on a chair on the far side of the room, writing on her notebook with a small lamp serving as a light source. Curious, he got out of the bed walked towards her with the intent on asking what she was writing down. "So, what are you writing?" asked Ishmael.

Luctiana jumped a bit, a little spooked by his sudden voice. She turned around to see Ishmael standing behind her with a curious expression on his face, his right hand resting on the back support of the chair. Seeing her reaction, Ishmael could only guess that he must have been especially quiet with his steps.

"Oh this?" Luctiana gestured to her notebook. "I'm just writing down notes, that's all."

Ishmael only grew more curious. Despite not being able to read the language, he could only guess what it was about.

"It's about me isn't it." Ishmael said in a matter of fact way.

"All right yes. It's about you." Luctiana said sighing.

"I'm sorry, it's just that you're here in our dwelling." Luctiana gestured to the room around them. "All my life I've been wanting to study you and you're people and now, I have you to help me do my work." she said enthustiastically.

Ishmael, remembering Bidashal and Ari , decided to ask a question. "So, back then I noticed the way your uncle and boyfriend were looking at me. Care to explain?" The elf was confused by his question.

"What do you mean?" asked Luctiana. "Humans and elves are not really on good terms with each other. It's been that way ever since what happened six thousand years ago."

Ishmael only raised his eyebrows. Six thousand years? Oh hatred? His curiosity got the best of him.

"And just what happened six thousand years ago between humans and elves?" He wanted to hear the story for himself, not just for the sake of understanding, but to better prepare himself for his interactions with the denizens of this world. One must get to know the local culture before setting foot on it after all.

Luctiana placed her notebook on the table before turning to him to tell him the history of the conflict. "Six thousand years ago, there was once a man named Brimir. He is known as a god to the humans in the western kingdoms for he brought forth their age of magic. He revolutionized his people with his knowledge of magic arts and set up the foundation that laid the groundwork for the current human kingdoms."

Luctiana paused, standing up and walking about the place. "However, he was tampering with magic too dangerous for mere humans to control. You see, the magic he wields is called void magic, a very destructive element that could wipe out an entire species. He sought to use it to further his power and unite his people into one."

Stopping, she turned to him before continuing. "He sought the council of elves in order to better understand and control his newfound power, but we elves refused for we realized the danger of his new magic. Because of that, he waged war upon us, rallying his fellow humans to do battle against us. We defeated them before exiling them from our lands. To this day, all of his descendants remain on the west of the desert, bickering among themselves while we lived and prospered."

Ishmael could only listen to her and grew fearful. If that was the history between humans and elves, then he did not want to think what would happen if other elves found out about his existence. Morbid images flashed in his mind about him being stabbed, hanged or lynched by a mob of elves.

Sensing his fear, Luctiana calmed him down. "Don't worry! We'll make sure that you stay alive and well. Can't do my research with you gone after all." Luctiana laughed to herself, although the memory of Bidashal and Ari pointing their weapons at him was still fresh in his mind.

Speaking of which, he noticed the absence of both male elves. Ishmael decided to ask the lone elf for their whereabouts. "That reminds me, where are they anyway?"

"Oh, they're on their way to the capital to inform the council of your arrival. They're going to see if we can keep you here for research." she replied.

With those words, Ishmael could say only one thing.

"WHAT?!"

If the other elves find out about him, they will surely move to end his life for trespassing. Not only that but his hosts could very well be punished severely for harboring him without their knowledge. Plus, the idea of him being kept for research did not bode well for him.

His imagination ran wild. Images of him being cut open repeatedly to see what makes him tick. Various drugs being tested on him to see their effects on the human body. All of this under the gleeful watch of his "torturers" as he likened them. He was at this point being very paranoid for his life, but could you blame him? He was trapped in a place where his kind is not wanted.

Seeing the distress on his face, Luctiana moved to dissuade him from his paranoia. "Don't worry. We're only going to ask questions and do little tests. Nothing too extreme nor strenuous. I'm sorry if it feels like you're being kept against your will, it's just..."

Luctiana clenched both of her fists, pressing them on her cheeks and squealing. "You're the first human that I've ever encountered! Imagine, a human right in my own home! I can finally begin to truly understand humans on a personal level."

Seeing her excitement, his earlier paranoia was forgotten and he reverted back to a neutral state and decided to ask her what made him so special to her. She replied saying that she is a human researcher whose job is to document humans and their everyday lives, seeking to understand humans and do away with the mystery surrounding her people's views on his kind. Ishmael was quite amused and intrigued at the same time. The idea of another race researching humans was something that could only be thought of in science fiction. Suddenly, he got an idea.

"You know," Ishmael smiled before continuing. "I can help you with your research, being a human and all."

Luctiana's eyes widened. First hand account on human life and culture from a human? She felt giddy at the prospect of it. She never got the chance to do so because the council would deny her request every time. Humans were dangerous creatures after all, or so they said. Even Bidashal was not thrilled by the prospect of kidnaping a human for research, citing the danger that one must be kept watched under close guard everyday.

"However," Ishmael interrupted her thoughts, "What you will be hearing is my account of my people, not the ones that you know. I may not be the stereotype that you see of a human, but the fact that I am should be enough to consider me a good specimen, don't you think?" At this point, Luctiana could hardly care where he came from. Researching humans was her thing and he was a treasure drove of information.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" exclaimed Luctiana, fist clenched in excitement.

"I accept! I can't wait to know more about human life and culture." She paused, "But why help me? For all I know, you could have refused and attacked me like all the savages beyond the desert."

Ishmael only looked at her funny and held up his right hand, "One, I'm from another world. My people don't know any elves. Two, that's rude. Why would I attack someone I don't know?"

Luctiana was surprised. A human being reasonable? She was already learning much from this dialogue between them. If this keeps up, she could very well be a respected researcher in her field, even though others derided it as a waste of time and resources.

"Three, they say that social interaction can be a cure for depression. If I'm gonna be stuck here, I'd rather make up the best of it." he finished. No way was he simply going to lie down and wait for life to to take him destinations. He was strong, maybe not in body but in mind.

Luctiana nodded after his third point. Now it was time to seal the deal between them...

...

...

...

Wait.

...

...

...

SEAL?!

...

...

...

 _"By the great purpose!"_ she thinks as she just realized the last step of the familiar summoning ritual! Sealing the contract. With a kiss.

" _A kiss?"_ she thought blushing.

She did not think this through. The commotion earlier in the afternoon had made her forget about the summoning ritual and its procedures.

Still blushing, she turned to face Ishmael.

"Umm, can I ask you a favor?" asked Luctiana shyly.

Ishmael, noticing her blush and her facial expression, knew that something was up. "What's with that face. I can tell that it's not good." He hoped it was something not too out of the ordinary. Heaven forbid he perform some strange, unknown and unexpected custom that would conflict with his ethical, moral and personal standards. And for God's sake, it better not be something gross.

She looked into his eyes, gulping before saying it. "Can I...kiss you?"

He could only say two things.

"Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" he asked rather comically while being genuinely confused at the same time. Did he hear that right? A kiss from a girl like her?

Luctiana reiterated. "Can I kiss you?"

Ishmael looked at her dumbfounded. "Do you have some sort of fetish towards humans?" he asked. He had never kissed a girl before and was wondering if the elf had some sort of secret kink. He also realized that she was white girl and he was a brown Asian boy. Would this not count as some sort of interracial relationship?

Luctiana sputtered, flushed at his suggestion. "Wha what?! No! It's just that, after summoning a familiar from the circle, the familiar and the master would bind their contract through a kiss." she explained.

Ishmael was hesitant. It's not every day that a girl asks you if she can kiss you right on your lips, especially a beautiful one.

Seeing his hesitation, the elf only begged further with cutesy eyes. "Please. It's just for research." she pleaded.

Seeing her like this made him reconsider before finally giving up and accepting. "Fine, but this is only for research."

While many would consider him lucky for having the chance to kiss a beautiful girl like Luctiana, he only felt awkwardness at the situation. He had seen clips of people kissing each other on the lips, even french kissing. The only place that he has ever kissed someone was on the cheek.

Closing his eyes, he beckoned Luctiana to lean forward and kiss him. Luctiana, also closing her eyes, leaned forward to do so. Slowly, her lips were inching their way toward his own. Slowly but surely. Finally, their lips touched, and they kissed. It was a strange feeling for both of them. For Ishmael, he finally knows the feeling of kissing a girl and it felt soft and warm. He felt butterflies in his stomach, ones that gave him an intense feeling of euphoria. For Luctiana, she had never kissed anyone on the lips before and her first time was with a human. She expected him to be gross and sloppy, but he wasn't. In fact, she caught a whiff of his breath and for some reason it smelled like something sweet. Unknown to her, he took breath mints before he got pulled into the portal.

Both continued to kiss, the kiss lasting for more than ten seconds and almost becoming more "adult" before being interrupted by a loud exclamation.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOU SAVAGE?!"

Both boy and girl broke their kiss and looked to the side only to discover Bidashal and Ari standing by the doorway. Ari in particular was sporting a very dark and angry expression on his face. With that said, Ishmael knew that he was in a world of hurt. There was only one word to describe the situation before them.

"Shit."

* * *

 **Notes: Third chapter done. Already past 100 views and still going. I appreciate that. I would also appreciate it if you guys leave a review but remember. No flames, only constructive criticism.**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything in Familiar of Zero. The rights belong to the original author.**

* * *

Chapter 4: No Familiar

* * *

 **Nephthys**

A flight of dragons is flying through the night sky, the moon and the stars being their only source of light in the dark. There are two in particular, both being ridden by elves with stoic and grim faces. Bidashal and Ari have just left the capital with a company of dragon riders and were on their way back home to Luctiana and Oliver.

The meeting with the council had gone exactly as they expected with lots of shouting and disagreeing on both sides over Oliver's fate.

"Well, that went exactly as I expected." said Ari.

"Patience Ari." said Bidashal. "We're lucky they didn't punish us for doing something so brash without their knowledge."

Ari merely snorted and looked ahead, thoughts filled with worries over Luctiana. He and Bidashal had left her all alone with that _damnable_ human devil. If that savage tried anything with Luctiana, he would certainly end him right then and there when they came back.

"I still don't like that savage." Ari looked over to Bidashal. "What if he tries something? It's bad enough that we're going to sleep next to him under the same roof but actually keep him?! Great purpose knows what he could do while we sleep."

Bidashal only looked at Ari with a knowing expression. Bidashal himself wasn't exactly all that excited about human beings like Luctiana is and he probably shouldn't have left her alone with Ishmael, but he himself is a researcher and Luctiana is his niece so he has to support her endeavors. On the plus side, at least Ishmael wasn't as bad as a certain human king in one of the human kingdoms. Although that could change depending on how well Ishmael interacts with them.

"I wouldn't be too worried about him." Bidashal answered before continuing. "On the contrary, I'm more worried about Eshmael and his allies. You know that man doesn't like humans all too well, and seeing his reaction only makes it worse."

Ari looked over to Bidashal with worry. If there is one thing that they can agree on, it's that Eshmael had been a pain in their backsides. He was and ardent supporter of genocide against the human race and a staunch opponent of any attempt to ease the tensions between the two races. Hell, his constant tirades against humans have left both elves irritated and with headaches. Even more so when they arrived to bring the news of the unsanctioned summoning ritual.

* * *

 _-Flashback-_

 _ **Council Room**_

 _The council of elves was in uproar over the news. Three factions thought differently over the same subject, Oliver L. Marasigan. One faction wanted to kill him and punish the research group for their actions, the other wanted to banish him back to the human dominions and also give punishment to the research group while the last took a softer stance and agreed to let the researchers host the human for the time being. All factions went back and forth, stating reasons, forming conclusions, making compromises and generally arguing back and forth against the other factions._

 _One elf was at the center of the court, shouting and yelling his viewpoints towards the subject. His name is Eshmael, a well known hater of human beings. Right now, he is in the middle of an argument between himself and another elf who wished to have the human be kept under lock and key._

" _He is too dangerous!" Eshmael said. "All humans are bloodthirsty savages! He is trespassing on our lands and must be killed immediately. Why they left him alone with that woman boggles my mind. What if he tries to do something to her?!"_

 _Ari winced and scowled at Eshmael's insinuation. Then again, even he did not agree to leaving Luctiana alone with Oliver._

 _The other elf disagreed. "They said that he is not of the devils' lands, is he? According to Bidashal, he hasn't done anything yet to harm them. I say that we stand better to know more about him and his people."_

 _Eshmael gritted his teeth. "Learning about savages?! There is nothing to learn about them! We kept them there for a reason and now we play host to them?! What you're speaking of is blasphemy!"_

 _Bidashal moved to speak on the other elf's behalf. "We stand more to gain by studying him and his people. He is alien to the conflict between our people and the rest of the humans. I move that we keep him for questioning for the sake of our own benefit."_

 _His only response was more arguing between the factions. Already he and Ari were getting tired of the constant insults and abuses being hurled at them and the rest of the elves. Eventually, a member of the moderates decided to ask them a specific question._

 _"If I may ask, what exactly is the name of our guest?" he asked._

 _Before Bidashal can answer, he was interrupted by Eshmael. "And why would you want to know the savage's name?! It's probably something insignificant to the names of our people, and don't call "it" a guest!"_

 _One of the heads of the council moved to silence him. "Enough Eshmael, let us hear form Bidashal the human's name."_

 _Nodding, Bidashal looked towards them, smiling to himself, and said, "The human's name...is Ishmael._

 _Silence filled the room. For a while, nobody bothered to say anything before Eshmael repeated the name. "Ishmael? The savage's name is...Ishmael?" Bidashal only smirked, chuckling inside as the bigoted elf digested the information. Ari himself was also chuckling inside, serves right for the bastard to insult them._

 _Within moments, the entire room was in a state of confusion, with some laughing to themselves and the others in denial, particularly the ones who are hostile to the idea of harboring a human. Eshmael himself was embarressed. Heck you could see how red he was in the face._

 _Eventually, one of the heads of the council had enough and shouted. "Enough! We are here to discuss the fate of the human called...Ishmael, not to dabble on about his name. So what say thee, do we keep him, banish him or execute him?" and with that, the council was back to arguing back and forth over Ishmael's fate._

 _This kept on for hours and hours until the sun started to set. It was at this time that the three factions became two, one that wanted him dead or banished and the other that wanted him to be kept for research. It was an improvement, but not much._

 _In the end, they came to a compromise. The group will be allowed to keep Ishmael under their care, but under heavy guard due to his status as an outsider and a human. In particulare, the head of the guards is an elf named Maddarf, a longtime friend of Ari._

 _Any protests against the decision were met with calls for silence by the majority. Eshmael in particular left stomping and fuming all the way. After that fiasco, Bidashal and Ari set out with a company of dragon riders back towards the oasis._

 _-Flashback end-_

* * *

 **Nephthys**

Personally, both elves did not like the idea of their research base crawling with armed guards. But it was all that they could do to keep Ishmael alive, under them and not at the end of a sword. Over the horizon, the image of the oasis became clearer as they neared their approach.

The company landed their dragons in front of the house. Looking at said building, they could see light coming out, indicating that the inhabitants are still awake. "Come on Ari, let's tell Luctiana the good news." said Bidashal stepping of his dragon.

Ari nodded, happy to see Luctiana after so many hours. The guards kept to the outside, content on not seeing the human for themselves. Only Maddarf went to accompany them into the house.

As the elves pushed aside the curtains framing the entrance, Bidashal decided to greet Luctiana. "Luctiana, are you there? We're back with-" then and there, they saw the scene for themselves.

Ishmael and Luctiana, both of their eyes closed, his lips in touch with Luctiana's while she closes her hands on his hips.

In other words, they were kissing.

KISSING!

Ari, seeing this, shouted.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOU SAVAGE?!"

The pair broke their kiss, startled and shocked as they turned to face the audience before them. Oliver could say only one thing.

"Shit."

Guards poured in, drawn by the exclamation made inside. Maddarf, seeing the commotion with his eyes, turned red and accused him of coming on her. "I knew it! He couldn't be trusted! As an elf, I shall rectify this mistake with your death!" and with that, he used his magic to levitate his daggers towards Ishmael. The guards themselves drew their swords, faces contorting in anger as they heard of the accusations against the human. Only Luctiana's form blocking him from being harmed kept him alive.

"Stop, it's not what it looks like! He-" Luctiana didn't get to explain as Ari himself drew his sword. "You think you can just come here and take her first kiss?!" Well you thought wrong!" Before this could go any further, Bidashal stopped them.

"Ari, Maddarf, stop! Luctiana's okay. There's nothing to be worried about." both elves turned to look at Bidashal, their faces still contorted in anger.

"But Bidashal, he tried to lay on her! That alone warrants punishment!" As Ari and Bidashal continued to argue, they are interrupted by a loud shout.

"ENOUGH!"

All the elves present turned to the source of the sound. In front of them stands Ishmael, his face contorted into a rage, his teeth gritted in anger and hot air blowing intensely from his nose like an angry bull. He had been listening to their insults and accusations and his temper could not keep from bursting. You would think that he would stand there and fumble trying to explain himself, but he was far from that kind of person.

"OBVIOUSLY NONE OF YOU KNOW HOW TO LISTEN TO A WOMAN, AND I WILL NOT STAND BY AS INSULTS AND FALSE ACCUSTIONS ARE LEVIED AGAINST ME!" The elves were taken aback by his powerful and commanding voice, so much so that they forgot about their anger and just stood there, not knowing what to do. For a few seconds, everything was quiet, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop if one was ever dropped.

Finally, Luctiana broke the silence and explained everything. "It's not his fault. The last step of the ritual was to kiss him and we did it for research." Luctiana looked over to Ishmael, seeing the look of gratitude on his face.

Having done that, everyone holding some sort of blade sheathed them. Ari, instead of being angry, was now jealous. A human had stolen Luctiana's first kiss. That was a blow to his pride not just as a man, but as an elf.

Bidashal, curious, asked Ishmael a question. "Ishmael, if I may ask, may we see your runes?"

"What runes?" asked Ishmael.

"The runes! Once a familiar and a master has bonded, runes show up on the familiar, confirming the contract." explained Luctiana.

Ishmael looked at his hands, looking at both sides and saw no runes.

"No runes here." he said.

Bidahsal looked over his from. "Perhaps the runes are underneath your clothes." Bidashal said with a smirk.

Ishmael looked at him with an indiscernible look on his face. "Guards. Outside. Now" Oliver said sternly.

Maddarf was incensed at being given orders by Oliver. "You don't demand anything from us-"

"NOW!"

Startled by his outburst, Maddarf hastily complied and left with his guards, leaving Bidashal, Ari and Luctiana with Ishmael.

Ishmael walked next to the bed before pulling off his shirt, jacket and undershirt. Turning around, his chubby body bore no marks of the familiar runes. "Perhaps it's on your lower body." Ari said snidely.

In response, Ishmael started to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants.

Seeing this, the other elves turned to look away from him, not wanting to see his willy for themselves.

"Okay! Please stop!" Ari shouted, covering his eyes.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." sneered Ishmael.

"But wait!" said Luctiana. "If there are no runes on you, then..."

Luctiana paused.

"Then you're not my familiar and if then, why were you summoned?"

All of them stayed quiet, lost in thought at the question.

* * *

 **Later in the house**

The rest of the party was sitting all over the house, quietly contemplating the answer to the question. If Ishmael was not summoned, why did he appear? Currently, Luctiana was looking at numerous books to try and grasp the question. It was proving hard however as very little about human beings is available thanks in part to the isolationist policy of the elves which prevented her from acquiring more information on human magic.

"There's got to be some reason for you not being my familiar." wondered Luctiana.

Bidashal himself was helping Luctiana in her search for answers while Ari was content on staying by the corner, dark thoughts filling his head at a sudden realization.

 _"There were no runes. That means the kiss was for nothing, and it was her first kiss!"_ thought Ari, still glum about Ishmael stealing Luctiana's first kiss.

Ishmael was sitting in quiet contemplation over the matter, his eyes downcast as he sat there thinking. He may not be well versed in the ways of magic, but even he could tell the significance of the revelation. And so he thought of numerous rationales to explain why it is that he has no runes, thereby marking him as a familiar. Slowly but surely, he was starting to develop a theory on why it was so. With that, he broke the silence in the room to voice his opinion over the matter.

"Guys, I have a theory." said Ishmael.

All eyes turned to look at him, eager to hear his thoughts over the matter.

"Really? What is it?" asked Luctiana.

The human stood up and scanned the crowd before answering. "Creatures summoned by the familiar summoning ritual come through a portal, right?" they nodded. "That portal. Perhaps it is the portal that turns whoever passes through it into a familiar. Maybe it's the reason that familiars are magically bound to their masters."

 _"I'm sensing a but here."_ thought Bidashal.

"However, I came through that portal, got kissed and there were no runes. It can mean two things. One, the summoning failed or two, it was merely a portal." said Ishmael.

Luctiana was confused. "What do you mean by that."

Ishmael walked closer to them. "Don't you get it? That portal must have been nothing more but a doorway, a doorway between your world and mine." with that revelation, the elves surprised. A doorway between worlds! The idea was mind boggling even to them. It seemed unreal to even think about such a thing happening, and yet here was Ishmael, the boy who came through the portal in weird clothing. It would also explain why he was so unfamiliar with their kind.

"Wait, does that mean that you're world is full of humans?" asked Luctiana.

"Humans and only humans." said Ishmael.

With that, the elves were startled. A world of only humans? Their mortal enemy?

"Just how many humans are there in your world?" it was Ari who asked the question, hoping to be satisfied with the right answer.

Ishmael, knowing how they would react, replied. "About seven billion."

The elves gasped. Seven billion humans? They were outnumbered! If they were to come here to conquer Nephthys, they could do so by drowning them through sheer number alone. How such a thing was possible was beyond their imagination let alone reality. Where humans boinking like rabbits where he comes from? Did they slaughter another race and take the world for themselves? Their questions only brought more questions the more they thought about it.

Speaking of race, Bidashal asked another question. "Are there any elves where you come from?"

The boy replied. "Only in fiction."

 _"Fiction?"_ the elves thought. Elves as a fictional race? They were unable to comprehend that. How did the humans even know about their kind if there were no elves to begin with? Like the previous answer, the question only brought more questions to the plate.

Suddenly, Ishmael yawned and took off his jacket. "I think that's enough questions."

Ishmael moved towards the bed, taking a look at Bidashal, "You mind if we continue this tomorrow?"

Bidashal replied. "It's okay. I think that we ourselves have had quite enough for the night."

With that, Ishmael fell into a slumber. Luctiana returned her books back into the bookshelves while Bidashal and Luctiana went outside to discuss things with Maddarf

* * *

 **Outside at the pier**

Both elves walked outside to meet Maddarf and the rest of the elves. Before either of them could say anything, Maddarf started first.

"Seven billion." he repeated. "Seven billion humans. Do you know what this means?"

Before they could answer, Maddarf flew into a tirade of paranoia. "It means that we are at risk! Seven billion savages! Wait until the council hears about this!"

Bidashal tried to calm him down. "Calm yourself Maddarf. They're not here to do a crusade against us. If anthing, they are unfamiliar and thus a blank slate that we can work with."

Maddarf looked at him like he was mad. "Work with?! These are humans we're talking about! They are as numerous as ants!" The other elves voiced their agreement with him. They were in danger of being swamped by the "devils" and thus they needed to take action to prevent such a thing from occurring.

Surprisingly, Ari disagreed with them. "It's okay. they don't know about us or our world. I say we calm down and focus on the matters at hand."

'And how will you do that?" asked Maddarf

Bidashal answered. "I suggest that we bring the human to the council to introduce himself. Perhaps it is he who can satisfy their need for answers." The other elves were hesitant about his suggestion but eventually agreed.

"Fine, if the council allows it. Hope he has better manners than the rest of his kind." Maddarf muttered the last sentence darkly.

He turned to one of the elves. "Guard, bring a message to the council. The human is to come to the capital to explain himself."

"Yes sir!" the guard replied, stepping up on his dragon and flying away.

It was time for Ishmael to meet the higher authorities.

* * *

 **Notes: I really hate Eshmael. Anyway, thanks for the support. It's slow but it's steady. Remember to leave a review. No flames, just constructive criticism.**


	5. Chapter 5

**New chapter is out. Make sure to see the previous chapters to see the rewrites that I've done.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Familiar of Zero. The rights belong to the original author.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Breakfast and Talks

* * *

 **Inside the house**

The sun rose over the horizon, but the only animals around to be bothered were dragons who were woken up by the glare of the sun's rays going over their eyelids. Inside the house, we see Ishmael still sleeping on the bed, content to snooze until the middle of the day.

Alas, it was not to be for even with the sun's rays not touching his eyelids, the mere presence of light in the vicinity was enough to bother him. His eyes slowly opened, dry tears breaking up as he sat up and yawned, stretching his arms as he did so. Still sleepy, he looked around the room to see if there was anyone nearby.

To his shock and awkwardness, Luctiana was sitting on a chair beside the bed, looking at him intently like a hawk eyeing its prey. In her hands is her notebook and a quill pen, the quill pen hastily being struck against the notebook as if she was using stone tools to carve words onto a stone tablet. Based on how she was clean and dressed already, he could deduce that she has been staring at him for sometime like a creepy weirdo.

After a bit of a staring contest between the two, he broke the silence to ask her what she was doing. "Luctiana, how long have you been staring at me like that?"

Luctiana broke out of her quiet and intense concentration on him and answered. "About an hour or so."

"Why" Ishmael asked.

Luctiana beamed at him. "For research, remember?!"

Ah yes, he had agreed to aid her in her research on human beings. However, that was not suppose to entail that she would use him like some sort of tool instead of cooperating with him as partners in her endeavor. That's how he felt in this situation, a tool for her studies.

Then again, his people were the subject of her research so he could say that he _is_ a tool for her. Ishmael prayed to God that this is as far as awkwardness goes between them. Boy is he in for a disappointment in the future.

"Really? You're documenting me sleeping?" Ishmael said with a deadpan expression.

The girl only nodded with a smile and proceeded to take down more notes.

Ishmael raised an eyebrow at her actions. "Don't you think that me sleeping is a bit too low for your research?"

She sopped for a while to answer his question. "Of course not! Anything to further my research is useful. In fact, the way you sleep fascinates me!"

Ishmael shook is head, laughing to himself at the female elf's eccentricities. He also found it cute for some reason.

The boy stood up from the bed and started to search for his jacket. "Luctiana, where's my jacket?" Luctiana pointed outside. "Oh, it's right outside if you want. I took the liberty of cleaning it for you." Ishmael nodded in thanks for her efforts.

"Do you have anything to eat?" he asked.

Now Luctiana was really excited. She had never seen a human eating before. She wondered what his kind ate for breakfast. Did they eat meat? Vegetables? Fish? Oh how she was excited that she wanted to ask him so many questions. But for now, she would contain herself and do as he asks.

"Food?! I can get you some!" she said excitedly as she walked towards the food shelves. As she was picking food off of the shelves, he went outside to look for his jacket. Stepping outside, he was greeted by the harsh rays of the sun.

" _Oh right, desert."_ he thought.

The heat was unbearably intense, especially since he hasn't had a bath yet. Looking around, he could see armed guards about, four of them to be exact. Each one responded to his presence in their own ways. Two ignored him while the other two gave him warning looks. Undaunted, he looked for his jacket amidst the sense of hostility he was feeling among the guards. He eventually found it at the end of the pier and, rather than wearing it like normal, decided to tie the sleeves around his waist. No sense stuffing his body with warm clothes in the desert climate.

Going back in, he was assaulted by the aroma of freshly cooked food. At the table is Luctiana, placing down food neatly. On the table were various food items ranging from chopped meat with sauce, sliced vegetables, various fruits and a salad. A pitcher of water was also there in case anyone was thirsty.

Smiling, he decided to complement her. "Wow, I did not know that you can cook."

The elf girl blushed. "Oh it's nothing. Can't have my subject starve after all."

Ishmael took a seat and, taking a plate and utensils, started to pick food from the bowls. Luctiana was happy to be of service until she realized that she didn't know what the human diet consists of. Oh no, what if he was strictly a carnivore, or herbivore. Maybe he was an omnivore. But what if the food is poisonous to him?! She has to stop him immediately!

"Wait!" shouted Luctiana abruptly.

"What?" asked Ishmael, puzzled at her suddenness.

"I don't know what humans eat! What if you don't like it or your stomach starts to hurt or-" she was interrupted by him taking a bite out of some meat. Panicking, she loudly urged him to spit it back out lest something bad happens to him. Ishmael only swallowed and was satisfied at the flavor.

"Well! That's even better than I imagined." he exclaimed.

Luctiana just stood dumbfounded. "You're, you're okay? No pain? No allergies or anything?" Ishmael grinned at her before drinking a cup of water and taking another bite of meat to emphasize his point.

She let out a relieved sigh before joining him on the table and eating with him. Unknown to both of Ishmael and Luctiana, Ari was spying on them through a slit on the curtains of a window. His eyes narrowed at Ishmael as the human and girl elf exchanged words. He shook his head before walking away, banishing dark thoughts from his head.

* * *

 **One hour later**

"So that is why I'm eating all of this food, because I believe that no amount of food should go to waste and turn to rotten garbage." said Ishmael, burping after drinking water. He had eaten most of the food portions available, miraculously not getting fatter than he already was.

"Fascinating!" Luctiana exclaimed as she made a mental note to list everything down on her notebook. They had been trading stories and insights onto each others races. It was already proving to be a cultural exchange the likes of which has never been done since both races split.

Meanwhile, Ishmael has been enjoying himself in Luctiana's company. The exchange was proving to be fruitful as he learned more about the world of Halkeginia. From the noble lands of the west to the representative government of the elves, everything he needed was being learned, not out of malice of course. He was simply trying to get a grasp of his situation, not plotting to take over the world.

Setting down his cup, he decided to ask her a specific topic. "Luctiana, tell me more about Brimir."

The elf was confused by his request. Haven't they already talked about Brimir? "He lead the humans against the elves in a crusade-"

Ishmael interrupted her. "No. I mean like what happened after the crusade. What did he do after his failure?"

Luctiana replied. "Well...according to human textbooks, his apprentice founded the Holy Papacy of Romania while his sons founded the kingdoms of Tristania, Gallia and Albion. Germania was founded later by a noble who united the northern lands, although I heard that the lands of Germania are still wild and untamed."

Ishmael looked deep in thought at Brimir. "You said that he died, how so?"

The elf replied at his question. "He was killed by his familiar...who is an elf."

"An elf?!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, she stabbed him with a sword after he grew insane." said Luctiana.

This time, it was she who asked him a question.

"Ishmael, you don't believe in Brimir, do you?" Despite knowing the possible outcome of the answer, she was still interested to hear his thought on faith regardless of his background.

"Can't say I do," Ishmael turned to look at her. "A guy named Brimir doesn't sound like someone I'd worship anyway." Luctiana grew more curious.

"Then, what do you believe in?" she asked.

He looked at her for a few seconds before turning his gaze away from her and answering. "Officially, I believe in God, no other name, just God." He said before she could ask another question.

Turning his gaze towards her, he continued. "Unofficially, nothing."

...

...

...

Luctiana was speechless. A human, no, not just a human, a person who didn't believe in anything? That was unheard of. Even they, the elves who were above the humans in every way, believed in a religion called the Great Purpose. If he were in human lands, he would definitely have been killed by the inhabitants for such a thing.

"Nothing? Nothing at all?" asked Luctiana. Ishmael confirmed by shaking his head.

"But I keep hearing you say your god's name." said Luctiana.

"Oh that? That's just an expression." replied Ishmael.

"Then, how do you live life?" asked Luctiana, perplexed by his character.

Ishmael cocked his head to the side, amused by her question. Religion has never been one of his strong suits. He had started gradually losing his faith since grade seven, a fact that bothered his mother immensely. He was an oddity amongst the Filipinos who were considered to be the most devoutly Roman Catholic people in all of Asia with a population majority of over eighty percent in the country.

After a while, he answered. "I live life for one thing, pleasure." He sat back, crossing his fingers together. 'You see, I may not have a religion, but I believe in Hedonism, the belief that one's personal benefit overrules other people's needs."

After that statement, Luctiana was frightened. The idea of living for one's own sake was not something that was taught to them as children and was seen as selfish and harmful.

"Now don't get it wrong," he interrupted. "I'm a nice guy. I just prefer myself over other people when it comes to wants."

Luctiana looked at him with a neutral expression before they were interrupted by the door curtains opening.

It was Bidashal along with Ari and Maddarf. Bidashal looked at Ishmael before telling him of the situation. "Ishmael, we have news from the council. They have requested you're presence at once."

Ishmael looked confused. "What for."

It was Maddarf who answered. "The council is to evaluate you and determine whether you're worth keeping or not. I advise that you behave yourself int their presence and answer their questions truthfully."

The human turned towards Luctiana then back at Maddarf. "She comes too, right?" Maddarf only nodded.

"At least let me take a bath first." complained Ishmael.

* * *

 **Pier**

After the dishes were washed, Ishmael took a bath on the far side of the oasis with Bidashal, Ari and Luctiana being his guards. Afterwards, he headed to the pier to ride on the back of Bidashal's dragon.

"So this is a dragon." said Ishmael.

"You don't have dragons where you come from?" asked Luctiana.

"Only in fiction." he replied. That phrase was quickly becoming a familiar one to the trio of elves.

Bidashal mounted his dragon before Ishmael mounted it behind him. Grasping the seat, he was slightly spooked when the dragon started to flap its wings and ascend to the sky. The rest of the elves mounted their dragons with Luctiana sitting behind Ari on his dragon.

"Is he treating you well?" asked Ari, still remembering her interaction with the human.

Luctiana replied. "He's respectful, for a human at least. It's fascinating really."

Ari looked at Ishmael before focusing ahead. Now as not the time to be distracted by petty thoughts. The elves are being escorted by Maddarf and a few of his guards while the rest stayed to guard the house. With that, the elves flew forwards towards the capital.

* * *

 **Notes: And that's a wrap. I may be focusing too much on Ari's jealousy in this story which is threatening my no shipping rule. Anyway, leave a review and remember, no flames, only constructive criticism.**


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